Nunez is a professional driver and distracted driving prevention
advocate who quickly rose in the world of professional auto racing as a
full-time driver in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series.
Nunez launched the Dnt txt n drV Foundation in 2014 and is a passionate
advocate for distracted driving prevention, making numerous appearances
at high schools throughout his racing schedule and speaking at some of
the nation’s most important driving safety forums since the age of 15.

On behalf of Cooper, Nunez is proactively addressing safety issues
during National Teen Driver Safety Week, sharing tips that both he and
Cooper hope all drivers—especially young ones—will put into action every
day.

“As a professional race car driver, safety is a top priority, but I am
actually more concerned about it when driving on city streets than on
the race track,” Nunez said. “There are so many drivers who seem to be
thinking about everything but safety when they are behind the wheel. We
all have places to go and we’re all busy, but we can’t forget that
making it to our destination safely is the top priority,” he added.

Nunez’s safe driving tips:

Remove a key distraction by turning off your phone. If it is still in
your line of sight and is too much of a temptation, lock it way in
your glove box or put it in the back seat where it won’t be visible
and available to you.

Don’t eat, apply make up or engage in other activities that take your
hands off the wheel and your eyes off the road. Take care of these
things before you leave home or wait until you arrive at your
destination.

Don’t text or use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or other social media
while driving. If traveling with friends, appoint one who is not
driving as your “designated texter.” Have that person stay in touch
with others so there is no distraction for the driver.

Similarly, don’t text family or friends when you know they are
driving. You want them to arrive safely to their destination, and you
don’t want to be the cause of an accident.

Speak up. Call out parents, siblings, friends and others who are
engaged in distracted driving. Tell them that they must stop. Most of
the time, they will. If not, make the choice not to ride with them and
be clear about why.

In addition to these tips, Nunez and Cooper also offer three key tire
safety tips to keep in mind during National Teen Driver Safety Week and
all year long.

Tire pressure: Drivers are advised to check their tire pressure when
tires are cool—at least three hours after the last time a vehicle has
been driven—and to be sure they know the proper tire pressure for
their vehicle. The correct tire pressure is not shown on the tire, but
is listed in the car’s owner’s manual, on the door jamb, or the glove
box door. Properly inflated tires lead to better control of the
vehicle, improved fuel consumption and help avoid uneven tread wear.

Tire condition: It’s important that tires are routinely checked for
cuts, cracks, splits, punctures and bulges, which could cause tire
failure. Cooper advises drivers to check the condition of their tires
before every lengthy road trip and at least monthly.

Tristan Nunez is a 19-year-old professional auto racing driver who
competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series as a
MAZDA factory driver for SpeedSource. Nunez became the youngest class
winner in GRAND-AM and American Le Mans Series history in 2013, and
became the youngest SportsCar champion in 2012, when he captured the
Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda Series championship. Born
to a now-retired professional tennis player, Nunez began his racing
career at the age of 11 while his twin brother continuing to pursue
tennis. Nunez advanced his racing career with multiple karting
championships and then transitioned to Skip Barber formula cars, where
he was named 2010 Rookie of the Year in the Skip Barber Southern Series
and won the Skip Barber Summer Series overall points championship. The
teen also won the 2012 Team USA Scholarship and the Walter Hayes Trophy
at Silverstone, and was named by Sports Illustrated as a “Face in the
Crowd”. The young Floridian stays active on and off the racetrack as the
face of his Dnt txt n drV Foundation, where he serves as an advocate for
the prevention of distracted driving. For more information, visit http://www.tristannunez.com,http://www.DnttxtndrVFoundation.org,http://www.twitter.com/tristannunez,
or http://www.facebook.com/TristanNunezRacing.

About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: CTB) is the parent company of a
global family of companies that specialize in the design, manufacture,
marketing and sale of passenger car and light truck tires. Cooper and
its subsidiaries also sell medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires.
Cooper’s headquarters is in Findlay, Ohio, with manufacturing, sales,
distribution, technical and design operations within its family of
companies located in more than one dozen countries around the world. For
more information on Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com,www.facebook.com/coopertire
or www.twitter.com/coopertire.